This invention relates to bathroom fixtures and to methods of manufacture of such fixtures. More particularly, the invention relates to new and novel reinforced composite simulated marble sinks and vanity tops and bathtubs, and to new and improved methods of manufacture of such reinforced structures.
It is well known to manufacture sinks, vanity tops, bathtubs, showerstalls, and kitchen counter tops of marble. Such lavatory items and household structures of marble construction provide the advantages of beauty, ease of maintenance, and color coordination, yet result in structures that because of their solid marble construction are extremely heavy with the result that they are more than cumbersome from the standpoint of shipping, handling, and installation. Such prior solid marble items have also conventionally been manufactured by what are known in the art as multi-pour techniques and such techniques are both primitive, time consuming and burdensome.
For example, there is depicted and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,860, a method for manufacturing a sink and vanity top combination of solid simulated marble wherein a first pour of a simulated marble mix is applied over a male mold, followed by a second pour of a simulated marble mix over the first pour and intermediate a female mold. While such method is effective to produce aesthetically pleasing items of manufacture yet the finished product is excessive in weight due to its solid marble-like construction and the process for its manufacture is time consuming as a result of the set and cure times required for the multi-layered marble-like structure.
These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome with the present invention and wherein there is provided a method of manufacturing marble-like lavatory items requiring less set and cure time and therefore of increased commercial acceptability. More particularly, however, not only is the time of manufacture of such items decreased, but the overall weight of such items is minimized due to the unique composite construction of such items as set forth herein in greater detail.